The San Pedro Sun

Kent Gabourel wins Pre-September Celebrations cycling raceSunday, September 8th saw several cycling enthusiastic circling San Pedro Town in hopes of winning first place in the Pre-September Celebrations cycling race. In the end it was Kent “Bob” Gabourel who trumped the competition and took the first place trophy in the senior division, while in the junior division Byron Lara rode home with a first place trophy.
According to local star athlete Kent “Bob” Gabourel, the purpose of the race was to raise funds for the local cycling team to travel to Punta Gorda to participate in the upcoming National Beach Cruiser Race on September 21st, all while promoting the patriotic spirit of the September Celebrations. “The race gives the youth and athletes of San Pedro a chance to practice for a larger race, while at the same time competing and winning prizes,” he said.
The race took cyclists through San Pedro Town to Boca Del Rio Area and back and each division race consisted of four laps, ending at Central Park.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belizean to stand trial for allegedly drowning her childrenA 22-year-old woman, who allegedly drowned three of her children at a beach earlier this year, is due to appear in court on September 17.
Felicia Chen, who has been charged with three counts of murder, has been undergoing psychiatric evaluation at the Mental Health Acute Unit at the Palm View Centre.
Police said that Chen on April 27 took a bus to the Belizean Beach with her four children, ages one to six, and walked them into the sea.
Chen is alleged to have drowned the children – one year old Trinaya Felicia Tuel, three-year-old brother Thomas and four-year-old Triana Tuel – by forcibly submerging them in the water in the first reported case of infanticide in Belize.
The eldest child ran for help and in the process escaped meeting the same fate as her siblings.

BWRC Monkey OperationsFeelgood news of the day. The Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic had two operations this week on monkeys. Both Spartacus and Livvy were operated on by visiting veterinarian Dr. Gilbert Brodeur. Both monkeys had their arms operated on, and both are recovering fine. Daniel Velazquez was there to document the operations. Thanks BWRC, and Dr. Brodeur!

VIDEO: Belize celebrates St. George’s Caye DayThe official St. George’s Cay Day ceremonies were held on Tuesday morning in Belize City. It included an address by the Charmian of the September Celebrations Commission, Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia, the Mayor of Belize City and the installation/crowning of the new Queen of the Bay. Here is a recording of the ceremonies as it was streamed live on West Vision. The video feed came courtesy of Great Belize Television (Channel 5).

CTV3

While Corozal Police continue to investigate what exactly caused Friday nights traffic accident they have charged one man for going equipped.
While Corozal Police continue to investigate what exactly caused Friday nights traffic accident they have charged one man for going equipped.
On Friday September 6th, at around 3:45am, Officers of the Crime Investigation Branch, Corozal were conducting a mobile patrol in the Joseito Layout Area when their attention was drawn to a dark skin male individual dressed in black shirt and a dark in color ¾ pants.
The man, later identified as 33 year old Jeremy Matura, Belizean laborer of San Antonio Village, Corozal, was seen riding a pink ladies bicycle.
A search was conducted on Matura which led police to the discovery of a Philips screw driver and a vice grip found in his right front pants pocket. As a result Matura was arrested and charged for going equipped. Matura, who police suspect is involved in several of the burglaries that have occurred in Corozal, appeared before the Corozal Magistrates Court today where he was offered bail to the sum of $1,000 which up to news time he has been unable to meet. Matura is scheduled to reappear in court on the 12th of December.

Corozal Police Charge Four For Drug Trafficking
Another drug bust in Corozal Town has resulted in the seizure of 329.7 grams of cannabis. On Sunday, Corozal Police conducted a search at a house located in the Halls Layout Area where they discovered a back pack containing a black plastic bag with suspected cannabis inside. Present at the time of the search was 24 year old Dwayne Hulse, Belizean laborer of 2 ½ miles Phillip Goldson Highway Belize City, 26 year old Tyron Munnings, Belizean labourer of #12 San Victor Street Orange Walk Town, Anthony Grant, 36 year old Belizean of Diego Street Corozal Town and Tanisha Mckoy of 12th October Street Corozal Town.
All four were individuals were escorted to the Corozal Police Station where they were charged for drug trafficking. They were arraigned in the Corozal Magistrates Court this morning where they pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking. All of the accused were offered bail to the sum of $3,000.00 each and a surety of the same amount which up to news time they have been unable to meet. They are schedule to return on the 11th of December 2013.

Corozal Resident Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Controlled Drugs
At first nothing incriminating was found when police searched the vehicle of Israel Rancharan, Belizean laborer of Halls Layout, Corozal, who was stopped while police was patrolling 7th Avenue in Corozal on Friday September 6th. But Rancharan’s luck ran out when police told him that his Nissan Sentra, bearing license plate CZL-C-03133, would be taken to the police station for further searches.
The search was conducted in the presence of Rancharan and this time the hunch of police officers proved right. Hidden between the two front seats, cops found a transparent plastic bag containing two small parcels containing 53.3 grams of suspected cannabis.

KTV Latino Winner Murdered In The West
And the disturbing stories for tonight continue as another taxi driver was found dead in his taxi car in the area of Pook's Hill Road about four miles behind Tea Kettle Village. Thirty seven year old Daniel Aguirre, a taxi driver of the garden city Belmopan was found burnt beyond recognition inside his vehicle on Saturday morning by a passerby who called the police. It is not yet known if Aguirre was murdered before he was set on fire.
Viewers might recall that Aguirre was 2011 KTV Latino winner. Daniel Aguirre was a resident of the San Martin area of Belmopan City and has now become the second taxi driver to be killed in the Belmopan area over the past few months. He is also the second taxi driver to be found burnt inside his taxi car following the untimely death of Hugo Moreno, a taxi driver who was found burnt in his taxi car, particularly inside the trunk of the vehicle, in a feeder road off the sand pit road in the village of Carmelita here in Orange Walk Town.

Cop Shoots Cop In Belize
A Police Constable from Orange Walk Town attached to the Crimes Investigations Branch at Precinct Two at the Racoon Street police station in Belize City is tonight dead after he was shot by one of his colleagues.
Reports are that at about 1:05am on Sunday, 32 year old Police Constable Glen Wayne Grant, attached to Precinct I Belize City, was riding his bicycle on Central American Boulevard when upon reaching in front of Publics Supermarket he heard the sound of a gunshot. Right after, he saw two male persons at the corner of Nargusta and Central American Boulevard involved in a struggle.
One of the individual’s, who was holding a firearm, was dressed in a white T-shirt and a blue ¾ pants, that person was P.C Yearwood. Reports are that unaware that his colleague was the one involved in the struggle, Grant, who had just finished duties at the Carnival competition at the Rogers Stadium, pulled out his 9mm service pistol and fired several shots at the men, fatally wounding Yearwood in the back and injuring the other individual later identified as 21 year old Brian Vasquez, Belizean Construction Worker of number 11 Mopan Street, Belize City.

OWT Mayor and DPM Discuss Streets Of Orange Walk
Over the last few days, despite the inclement weather, the Orange Walk Town Council, with the little resources available, has been working arduously to bring the streets across town up to driving standards.
On the other side of the field the Ministry of Works is also rehabilitating certain portions of Belize Corozal Road and Queen Victoria Avenue which fall under their jurisdiction and are in dire need of refurbishing.
But as we have mentioned before, both the streets of town and those that run through Orange Walk are in a terrible state and quick patching proves to be no comfort for Orange Walkenos. Truth of the fact is more needs to be done. With this in mind, Mayor of Orange Walk Town, Kevin Bernard, requested a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Honorable Gaspar Vega. The meeting was set for today at 10:00am and according to Mayor Bernard, the main topic of discussion was streets.

Before and AfterFor many people it is common to have ongoing birthdays and celebrate for a few days before and after depending on what day their birthday falls.
For me it was a case of having to much fun treating myself and getting treated the past couple of days that I did not want to stop, so I gave myself permission to take Monday off. Minutes after I made the decision to treat myself by going back to bed, the rain started and that wonderful wet tropical plant smell came through my window, perfect way to take a siesta.
After my nap I decided to treat myself to some home spa time which got cut short as Dick texted he was popping by before work. Then Gaylynn and Mary followed a while later and I for way sidetracked from hula hooping blogging and everything else. Before long Paul was on his way home with pizza and there was just no way I was going back to work.

It Rained On San Pedro, Belize’s St. George’s Caye Day ParadeSeptember 10th is a national holiday in Belize that commemorates the British Baymen beating back the Spanish in very early Belize history. The Battle of St. George’s Caye. In San Pedro, Belize, to celebrate, the kids in town put on their uniforms (even though it’s a day off) and march in a parade.
Here are some pictures from the parade earlier today. The kids were supposed to gather at 9am. I arrived at about 9:20am and things were just getting together.
The big flag in Central Park was hanging a bit limp in the pre-stormy weather. Perfect weather for a mosquito parade.

Five reasons for planning a 2014 Belize vacation nowWho’s planning next year’s vacations already?
Obviously some people are, because we just received not one, but two emails this last week asking for suggestions about where to go in Belize in January.
Having been focussed on the current and upcoming September and beyond celebration season that’s just kicked off in the Jewel, it did take us by surprise. Here were two groups of people already planning for next year, just as the longest running party in the western hemisphere is getting underway in Belize.
However, when you think about it, it does make sense to start planning now to enjoy that post-holiday euphoria that always pervades Belize after the New Year. And there are many other good reasons to be in Belize in January. Here’s a few:
It’s very relaxed. Everyone’s been partying and people in the eco-tourism business have been working hard. And while resorts, tour operators and everyone are still active and welcoming, they’re moving at a more relaxed pace now that the rush is over.

SBDCBelize, BELTRAIDE signs Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to access SBDCGlobal.com ” A Trade Platform just for you”In order to get into the international market, you need the international connections, tools, and information to make it happen. As an item within the Annual SBDC Network Conference, in Orlando, Florida, BELTRAIDE, through its Small Business Development Centre (SBDCBelize), signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding to access SBDCGlobal.com, a powerful and free online trade platform that will link the 750,000+clients of the U.S.., Mexican, Salvadoran, and Colombian Small Business Development Center Networks for international trade opportunities. The MOU was signed by Ms. Melanie Gideon, Deputy Executive Director, BELTRAIDE, and Robert McKinley, Vice President, UTSA Institute for Economic Development. The signing was witnessed by representatives of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA).

Security Kills FreedomIn a world where there is much less government, small organizations present a great threat to societies, depending upon how well organized they are, how well armed they are, and their true intentions. Of course their intentions can only be realized “after the fact”, so all society can do is fall victim to those who plot against them.
Nevertheless, mob justice is usually very nasty & prevails in small societies, and it usually amounts to rounding up the oppressors & criminals and putting them in jail or hanging them (or much worse). The old west kind of ran like this, small towns & communities were entirely controlled by an elected sheriff, who was backed by the community, when someone did something the community didn’t like, the sheriff paid them a visit.

August 31, 2013 - September 6 , 2013 Fishing ReportThe first week of September has been stellar. It was wonderful to see Aki, Chris and their absolutely fish crazed son, Mak. These guys have crazy luck. They have talent as well, and they are rewarded every time they fish with Captain Cesar. And thanks Ray for bringing your buddies. I loved that they jumped on board to learn to fly fish and I know they will continue this new fun form. What can we say? The fishing is great and the people are fun. Always a good combination! And, Alejandra Flota turned 10!

International Sources

Get rich quick scheme leaves 15,000 out of pocketAn online ‘get rich quick’ business that promised investors guaranteed returns has pulled out of Ireland, leaving thousands of people battling to recoup their money from an address in Belize in Central America.
Banners Broker has terminated its contract with its Irish agent and put tight restrictions on who can withdraw money from its accounts and how often they can do it.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 Irish people had lodged cash with the company believing they were renting online space that would be sublet to unidentified advertisers.
The company never circulated figures, either internally or externally, on the volume of money raised from Ireland or elsewhere.

Officials track storm in Atlantic closelyThe National Weather Service and Cameron County officials are monitoring a weather disturbance off the coast of Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula.
But it’s too soon to say if residents need to take steps ahead of severe weather.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the disturbance is expected to slowly move west-northwest at 5 to 10 mph, and will cross the Yucatan early today, moving into the Bay of Campeche early Thursday.
Barry Goldsmith, the local warning coordinator meteorologist for the weather service’s Brownsville office, said the disturbance is a wave and it is being watched. Whatever happens, it must survive the Yucatan before it could develop into a stronger storm.

Students Pounce on Belize Zoo ProjectA SUNY Cortland project to make The Belize Zoo fully accessible to the public wasn’t inspired by the usual means: a fuzzy, feathery or slithery zoo mascot.
Instead the Belize Zoo Transformation Project, which mirrors the College’s more comprehensive initiative to make New York state parks and recreational areas available to all — the SUNY Cortland Inclusive Recreation Resource Center — finds its source in a very special Belizean, Jerome Flores.
Perhaps the zoo’s biggest fan, since childhood Flores has loved visiting its rescued carnival menagerie and newer acquisitions. He eventually came to work for the zoo. But more recently, the middle-aged man was seriously injured in a fall at a different job and now must use a wheelchair to get around.
The zoo had accessible walkways inside, but not long ago Flores found himself stranded outside in the zoo’s gravel parking lot.

Archaeologists Uncover Hidden Structures in Ancient Maya City Through New TechnologyEl Pilar. The name means "watering basin", reflecting its rich water resources. Spread across the border between western Belize and northeastern Guatemala, this ancient Maya city center is considered the largest site in the Belize River region, boasting over 25 known plazas and hundreds of other structures, covering an area of about 120 acres. Monumental construction at El Pilar began in the Middle Preclassic period, around 800 BCE, and at its height centuries later it harbored more than 20,000 people.
It thus may come as a surprise for many visitors when they actually see the site. Its immensity belies the view -- for this city, unlike many of its well-known counterparts in Belize and Guatemala -- sites like Tikal and Caracol -- remains mostly cloaked in its dense tropical shroud. With the exception of a fully exposed Maya house structure, pyramidal temples appear as hills covered with vegetation and trees, ball courts are still disguised like natural extensions of the jungle landscape, and elite residential buildings are detectable only as mere rises beneath the forest canopy.

Chance of cyclone near Yucatan Peninsula is low: NHCA trough of low pressure off the coast of Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula has a low 20 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday in its latest bulletin.
The trough is expected to move slowly west-northwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour, and will begin moving across the Yucatan Peninsula by Tuesday night, entering the Bay of Campeche early Thursday, the NHC said.
Upper-level winds should be conducive for the formation of a tropical depression over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico later in the week and this system has a high 70 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next five days, the Center said.

Carnival Checklist: 8 Things You Must Do At Belize’s September CelebrationsThis week marks the start of Belize’s festive season— the September Celebrations—which officially kick off tomorrow with St. George’s Caye Day. We reached out to our Belize connect, Dion Peyre of Brotherhood Promotions, for a roundup of all the ‘must dos’ for anyone coming to Belize to celebrate.
September is the most party-filled month of the year in Belize, because of our two biggest holidays: the The Battle of St. George’s Caye Day on the 10th, and Independence Day on the 21st. The partying starts in late August and goes all the way through the end of September. If you are in Belize for the September Celebrations, there are eight things you have to do to make the most out of your trip. Although there will be tons of parties and activities all over the country, this list is for the people who plan to make Belize City their hub.